1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to peer-to-peer networks, and more particularly to a method and system for supporting secure transactions in a peer-to-peer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past several years, photosharing has become widely accepted by photo enthusiasts. Many websites currently exist that allow users to upload digital images to the website, where they are stored on a server and viewable by others over the Internet. Photosharing websites also allow a shopper to purchase digital images stored in the server, as well as other products based on the digital images, such as greeting cards, coffee mugs, mouse pads, and T-shirts, on which a selected image is imprinted.
This approach to photosharing and e-commerce, however, presents some disadvantages. In particular, users are required to upload digital images to the website, which can be time consuming, and the website requires extensive storage capacity to store the images of all the users, which can become expensive.
To address some of these concerns, the assignee of the present invention has developed a web-based peer-to-peer photosharing environment in which all workstations and computers (peers) in the network store images locally and act as servers to other users on the network. A central site accessible by all the peers provides additional functionality, such as coordinating the peers, providing search capabilities for the peers, purchase order fulfillment, etc.
Each peer computer includes a peer application, which when executed, enables the peer computer to communicate with other peers and with a server at the central site via a network, such as the Internet. The peer application also allows the user to perform operations locally, such as browsing thumbnail images and creating greeting cards with selected images.
While the peer-to-peer environment provides many advantages for photosharing, shopping in such an environment presents challenges. Each peer that wishes to sell products based on its digital assets must be equipped, at a minimum, to transmit digital assets selected by a shopper to the shopper, collect and authenticate the shopper's financial information, assure the shopper that it is authentic typically by providing a digital certificate, and securely manage the shopper's confidential information. Providing this capability can be expensive and can require significant resources. For example, procuring and maintaining a digital certificate alone can cost hundreds of dollars each year.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method and system for secure shopping in a peer-to-peer network. The present invention addresses such a need.